While the present invention has been designed primarily for use as a training aid for gymnasts in conjunction with a balance beam, it is to be understood that such a specific use is only illustrative of the general field of similar applicability. However, because the genesis of the present invention is for use with such balance beams, the following exposition will reply thereon.
In the training of gymnasts, one of the initial requirements is to help the individual lose her beginner's fear of falling while, at the same time, to permit the coach to be at the same level as the student to spot her, to catch her in case of falling and to otherwise teach her the fundamentals and the proper sequences and controls. This is especially critical at the competition height of about four feet.
Conventionally, the gymnast is at first trained at floor level, using a white line to represent the balance beam. After the student has been sufficiently trained at this level, most coaches begin to continually elevate the beam until it reaches the competition level of approximately 4 feet. Raising the beam in this manner has many pitfalls. First, the fear element for the gymnast increases dramatically as the beam is raised. Secondly, the ability of the coach to help spot and control the gymnast diminishes, since the gymnast is now located above the level of the coach. In the extreme, the feet of the gymnast are at or above the coach's chest. To alleviate this problem, current practice is to elevate the coach alongside the gymnast by such methods as stacking mats on top of one another, or using tables, chairs and other items which are neither safe, economical nor practical. Because of the instability of most such methods, coaches have fallen trying to aid gymnasts, and gymnasts have fallen because the coach had an unstable platform on which to work.